Wednesday, February 16, 2011

NLP for Beginners 1: the WHYs and HOWs


What is NLP?
NLP stands for Neuro-Linguistic Programming. It sounds very enigmatic, yet there is nothing mysterious about NLP. It is a mix of neurology, systems theory, and structural linguistics which results in an effective communication method.  

When?
NLP is relatively young. Its history began at the University of California, Santa Cruz in the early 1970s. Scientists studied the methods of work used by psychiatrists. The results of these studies were published in 1975 in The Structure of Magic. Volume I followed by The Structure of Magic. Volume II in 1976.

Who?
Richard Bandler and John Grinder, a student and a professor, are the authors of The Structure of Magic books. They combined their knowledge and experience in two absolutely different fields and created a new discipline, known today as NLP. There is another group of people who officially are considered to be co-founders of the theory. Their names are Leslie Cameron, Judith DeLozier, Robert Dilts, and David Gordon.

Why?
It began within the frames of psychotherapy. While studying therapy sessions, Bandler and Grinder found some regularity which they generalized into models. They considered the use of particular linguistic patterns to be beneficial in patients’ treatment. Especially appealing to them was the idea that these patterns can be taught.  

Main Motto
If at least one person in the world can do it, then it is possible to teach everyone else!


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